SREEYUSH SUDHAKARAN

VIDHYA VIKAS COLLEGE OF ENGG&TECH, NAMAKKAL

HOW TO SUCCEED IN GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Group discussion is becoming a very important tool for selection. It is used
for selecting candidates for admission in management courses. It is also
used for selecting young managers. As the preference is for selecting team
players, and not loners who cannot function effectively in-groups, this tool
is progressively getting higher weightage.
In-group discussions, it is possible for candidates to play different roles.
These roles can be grouped under three categories viz, group task roles,
group building and maintenance Roles, and self-centered roles.
GROUP TASK ROLES
Group task roles are behaviours that help the group solve its problems or
accomplish its tasks. These roles include:
(a) Initiator: starts discussion, suggests new ideas and solutions.
(b) Information opinion seekers: Asks for information from other members
and tries to elicit their opinion.
(c) Information Opinion Giver: Gives facts and information and shares his
own opinion with others.
(d) Clarifier: Expands on ideas of others by giving examples and
explanations.
(e) Coordinator: Helps in integrating and summarizing the ideas of the
other members.
(f) Orientor: suggests the direction for further discussion and defines the
goal/objective of the discussion.
Candidates playing roles of initiator, coordinator and orientor score better
marks in-group discussion.
GROUP BUILDING ROLES
These roles help members to function together as a group and maintain
good interpersonal relationships.
(a) Supporter: Praises and agrees with others.
(b) Harmonizer: Helps in resolving disagreements and conflicts between
others.
(c) Tension Reliever: Makes people feel relaxed by cracking jokes and
generating humour.
(d) Encourager: Encourages those who have not spoken to participate.
Candidates playing roles of harmonizer and encourager score better marks
in-group discussion.
SELF-CENTERED ROLES
These roles satisfy an individual's needs without regard for the other
members of the group. (a) Blocker: Always rasies objections and brings up
the same topic after the rest of the group have disposed it of.
(b) Aggressor: Criticizes others, expresses hostility and jealousy.
(c) Recognition Seeker: Boasts and tries to always seek the attention of
others.
(d) Clown: Shows lack of involvement in the group task by cracking jokes
and passing cynical comments.
(e) Dominator: Attempts to dominate by ordering others, interrupting and
imposing his own point of view.
All these self-centered roles mentioned above must be avoided as they
considerably reduce the chances of selection.
Remember the Group Discussion tests not only your communication but also
your listening skills.
1. TIPS FOR LEADING DISCUSSIONS
by Felisa Tibbitts, Human Rights Education Associates
There are some simple procedures that can help you to foster equal and open sharing in
group discussions, whether with fellow teachers or with your students. The ones below
are not intended to be prescriptive, but to encourage you to explore and experiment with
communication techniques. It is fairly easy to tell if the discussion is going well by the
participation levels among the members, and by the creative quality of the comments. So
have fun!
Establishing the Tone
There are two predictable times when how a group is handled will be fundamental for
affecting the quality and tone of the discussion. The first such time is at the very start of
the discussion. The most important thing is to establish that everyone has a right to speak,
and that they are, in fact, expected to contribute. This will only work, of course, if group
members feel that they can trust one another, and that their ideas will be welcomed. Here
are some hints for how to start.
• If possible, have people sit in a circle, or at least facing one another. If you are in
a setting where this is not possible (for example, a classroom where the seats are
bolted to the floor), then the facilitator of the discussion can lend an inclusive
element by walking among the members when he or she is speaking.
• If group members do not know each other, then 'introduction' exercises might be
used. Members of the group can introduce themselves, or members can be asked
to interview another person and then 'present' them to the group. Introductions can
be more fun if people are asked to share such things as their favorite hobby, the
animal they consider themselves most like, and so on.
• The facilitator can de-emphasize his or her own role and emphasizing that of the
group members by beginning the discussion with open-ended questions. As
participants offer their views, the facilitator can encourage group members to
respond to each other (and not to the facilitator) by asking questions like: "What
does everyone else think?" or "Is there anyone else who agrees?" "Anyone else
who disagrees?" -- These kinds of questions will encourage members of the group
to speak with each other, and also reinforce the idea that it is alright if people
disagree with one another.
• Sometimes it is a good idea to establish 'ground rules' for discussion. This can be
especially important when the group members are children. If the students are old
enough, they can even help you establish the ground rules. You could ask them to
think about what should be the rules for discussion so that everyone is encouraged
to speak. Here are some ideas for some rules:
1. Everyone should listen respectfully to the other (even if they disagree).
2. The person who is speaking should not be interrupted.
3. No more than one person should speak at the same time.
4. No one's ideas should be made fun of.
5. If you disagree with someone, disagree with their ideas, but don't attack the
person.
6. Try to understand the others, as much as you hope they try to understand you.
Facilitating Discussion
The facilitator can use different kinds of forums for discussion, depending upon the
number of group members, and the degree to which it is important that every single
person participate. This will depend on the setting. For example, in some general
classroom discussion, the facilitator could simply invite discussion, and call on those
individuals who want to volunteer their opinion. However, if the group is particularly
shy, or if the facilitator wants to make sure that every person is actively engaged in the
exercise, then discussions can be more structured.
Here is how the discussions can be structured:
• The facilitator can simply go around the circle (or down the rows) and ask
everyone to give their comment. This technique is very inclusive, but it can take a
long time or get a little boring.
• Group members can break into pairs for discussion. In a debate format, their
opposing 'positions' can be assigned. (If you do this, it is interesting to assign
positions that are unlike their personal ones.) Also in pairs, the facilitator can ask
each of the group members to 'interview' each other; they could then later present
their partners' comments to the rest of the group. Using pairs is particularly nice
when members of the group do not know each other, since this provides an easy
and personal way to become acquainted with at least one person. You can also ask
people to work in a sequence of pairs (for example, first the person seated to their
left, and then the person seated to their right).
• The large group can be broken into small groups of up to six or eight people; for
children, these numbers normally do not exceed four.
The discussion can then take place on a voluntary basis or, depending upon the task,
everyone can be required to do some activity. In order to create some structure for
students, teachers often assign roles, such as 'recorder' (writing down what takes place),
the 'organizer' (who makes sure that the group stays on task), the 'materials person' (if
materials are involved in the exercise), or special roles associated with the exercise.
Please note that it is ideal that such groups "report back" to the larger group, either orally,
on a large sheet of paper, or both. This way, you bring the discussion back to the whole
group. The small group format works is usually ideal for 'hands-on' exercises, rather than
simple discussions or sharing of ideas.
As the facilitator, you may have to make some quick decisions about how to organize the
discussion. On the basis of how well communication is going, you might leave everyone
in the large group, or you might let people remain in their small groups. There are rarely
set rules in this respect.
Your job during the heart of the discussion will be to maintain the flow, to keep the
atmosphere respectful and pleasant, to keep the group "on task", and to handle conflicts
that may arise. It is important that when conflicts arise, feelings as well as ideas are
addressed. Try to involve the group in the mediation of such tensions, if possible. If the
conflict is too intense and personal, then handle this privately outside the group setting.
Much more can be said about conflict resolution as a skill, but there is not enough space
here.
The facilitator should affirm the participation of group members. This can happen by
complementing individuals or groups for their effort or creativity, directly encouraging
some of the shier group members to express their ideas (although they should not be
coerced to do so), and building on the ideas that are expressed. This encouragement can
be expressed through words, facial expressions and body language. It is also important to
"listen" to the members of the group in the same way.
Wrapping Up
A session can be ended in many different ways. It is always a good idea to highlight the
positive aspects of the discussions and exercises, and to personally thank the participants
for their involvement. If you enjoyed the discussion, you should say so!
If the discussion was part of an ongoing series of some kind (as in a class), you might
want to make assignments that build on what transpired. For example, if some interesting
differences of opinion arose, you might ask participants to write a position paper of their
own. Even a larger research project could be developed. If the goals for the
discussions/exercises are for the participants to learn more about themselves and to grow,
you might ask them to keep a personal diary in which they keep their thoughts, reactions
and questions to the discussions. These could be kept by the participant, or also shared
privately with the facilitator in order to have some feedback.
If you want to reinforce the communication techniques themselves, you might ask the
participants to reflect aloud or in writing to the following kinds of questions:
• What went well in the discussion? How do you know?
• What was difficult in the discussion, and why?
• How were disagreements or conflicts handled?
• Did everyone get a chance to participate? If not, were they invited to participate?
• Did you notice the difference between when you differed with someone's opinion
on an intellectual basis, and when you felt an emotional reaction to someone's
statement? Can you explain why one reaction and not the other?
In Conclusion....
Learning how to facilitate is both an art and science. Don't be too hard on yourself if it
feels "rough" at first! Although this article contains some ideas, the best resource will be
your own intuition. You can improve your skills at facilitation every day, simply by
observing the circumstances in which people feel free to express their ideas. If you know
someone who is particularly skillful at involving people in discussion, you might observe
them to get some ideas.
Remember... Have Fun!
Group discussion tips
:: Stay calm
It is seen that many group discussions degenerate into a fish market. This is because the
participants lose their sense of calm. They panic either due to the topic under discussion or
due to other participants. Regardless of what the situation may be, it is important for you to
maintain your composure. Staying calm in the face of adversity is a quality that is absolutely
required of a leader.
:: Meaningful contribution
Some participants enter a group discussion with the impression that the more they talk, the
greater is the chance of being selected. This cannot be further from the truth. How long you
talk is irrelevant, what you talk is important. Repeating the same points over and over again
shows the lack of content in the candidate.
:: Reaching consensus
Decisions in real life business situations are normally taken by a team. It is a case of give and
take. Flexibility in your thought process is crucial. Being adamant on a point just because you
do not want to be seen as backing down reflects very poorly on the person. Understanding the
other person's point of view is very important. If you feel strongly about what you believe in,
push forth your point but in the form of clear reasons. Repeating the same point serves no
purpose. It is well known that in a group discussion, reaching a consensus is extremely
difficult. The fact that the group reached or did not reach a consensus is not relevant to your
being selected. What is of relevance is what you did in order to try and reach a consensus.
:: Be seen
Regardless of how many points you may have, unless you ensure that the group and the
evaluators hear them out, they remain just what they are - ideas. To make them count you
have to ensure that you are heard. Rarely will anyone gift you with an opportunity to speak.
You will have to create that opportunity. And once you get that opportunity, make it count.
:: Listen
Some candidates have so many points to put across that they find the time limit too short. So
they end up occupying a lot of airtime. This shows favourably in terms of knowledge but is a
poor commentary on team skills. In most business situations, decisions are seldom taken
independently. You have to let others express their point of view.